The Dead Chapter 11

Book 1: The Dead

Chapter 11

I saw Nicole fall to the ground as I heard Todd yell out and shoot the man who shot her in the chest. The rest of the men turned and began firing as we scattered, each of us diving behind one form of barrier or another. Glass exploded as some of their shots hit the windows behind us. I heard Monica make a small scream as she was showered with glass. I couldn't stop thinking about Nicole, was she hurt badly? Was she dead? I was glad Todd had shot the man, but I knew that meant that him and Brooke only had one bullet left each. And from the way the men were firing I could tell they weren't worried about conserving ammo.

But then, as if a miracle, they stopped firing and I heard their leader swear and they ran past us, barely taking notice of us or their fallen comrade. I couldn't even bear to look until I heard tyre screeches as they drove away. I opened my eyes and looked through the window to see what had scared them away. It was two of the dead, slowly shuffling towards the clinic, attracted by the gunshots. We all moved swiftly and silently behind the counter, from the way they moved they were not, as of yet, aware of our presence. Collectively we held our breaths. If the clinic was overrun, and from that direction, then we wouldn't be able to reach the cars in time. And what if Nicole was wounded and unable to move? And it’s unlikely that Simon’s tests were already done. I froze at the realization that if Daniel or Daphne came out from the room they could alert the deadmen to our presence, if it wasn't already known.

Tentatively I raised my head just enough so that I could see the deadmen and whether they were still approaching the clinic. We were lucky. The dead had heard and seen the other men running from the clinic and had turned to follow them instead, I doubted they would ever catch up or even chase them to the end of the street. They seemed to be shuffling along with disinterest as opposed to the mad primal hunger that they usually attack with. But for now we were safe. Or at least, most of us were.

‘Nicole!’ I heard Todd say, half screaming half whispering. We ran over to where she lay, there was lots of blood but our luck seemed to continue as the bullet seemed to only have grazed her arm. I was filled with relief and gratitude to whatever was watching over us. Nicole, who had joined us while crying almost hysterically, had become the most level-headed of us. We needed her to keep us sane as well as safe. She seemed to be in shock, which was appropriate considering what had happened. As she moaned and began to realise her surroundings Daniel emerged from behind the door. ‘We heard gunshots,’ he began, then his tone changed from fear to concern when he saw Nicole, ‘Nicole! Are you alright?’ we helped her sit up

‘I’ll be fine,’ she replied wearily, inspecting her wound.

As Daniel and Brooke got supplies, quietly, from the Ute to dress Nicole’s injury I joined Todd beside the dead shooter. Todd was obviously a good shot, the bullet went right into his chest. The others had been in such a hurry to leave they had left the supplies he had on his person. Unfortunately for us he was not one of the people who were carrying the medicine bags. He was, however, carrying a rifle. I looked at Todd as he picked it up ‘Do you know how to use it?’ I asked

‘I think so,’ he replied, and continued to pick up some ammo off the dead man and reload it. I took that as a yes, but then Todd shocked me by handing me the policeman’s weapon, saying, ‘it’d be best if we increase the number of people with guns by as many as we can’

‘I don’t know how to use a gun!’ I spluttered

‘I’ll teach you,’ he replied stoically. I was taken back, not only by his blasé approach but at the very idea of using a gun. I knew it would be something I would have to learn in the future, but I had always considered guns to be… bad. They only cause death or pain, and as much as I wanted to protect myself and those around me, it wasn't an idea I could get used to easily.

I couldn't even believe that Todd had killed a man, maybe that was why he was so eagerly teaching me how to shoot and handing me a gun. Even if he knew how to shoot a gun I doubted he had ever shot a man, and I also doubted he was unaffected by his actions today, I knew he should talk to someone but that would have to wait, there were more important matters at hand.

Almost as soon as her wounds were dressed Nicole had leapt off the bed we had put her on and was looking at Simon’s scans. I walked over to her, my new-and unwelcome-weapon in a make-shift holster Todd had made. She noticed me coming over and preempted my question, ‘he’s fine, there are no problems here,’ she paused and we walked away from the scans as she continued, ‘but his fever is worse, I think he’s got an infection’

‘It’s not’- I began, horrified at the thought of having an infected friend to deal with

‘No, I don’t think so, Daphne says he didn't get vaccinated and there was no blood on him besides his own so there is no way he got infected. It’s probably just from the accident and riding around in a Ute, and on a motorbike,’ she looked like she could find a dozen more examples of how he could have got infected so I interrupted her

‘The men took everything, well except some pregnancy tests and tampons but I doubt Simon will have much use for those’

‘You know what this means then’

‘Yeah,’ I paused, hating that I had to say it, ‘we’re gonna need to go to the hospital.’